The Egyptian army killed two suspected jihadists on Friday in restive North Sinai, a day after a blast targeted an armoured vehicle, a military spokesperson said.

Army spokesperson Tamer al-Rifai said the suspects died in an exchange of fire in a farming area of the region in eastern Egypt, and that arms, ammunition and walkie-talkies were seized.

Egypt’s army said on Thursday that 10 soldiers, including an officer, were killed or wounded in an explosion that day targeting an armoured vehicle near Bir al-Abed in North Sinai.

It gave no further details on Friday on the army’s casualties.

The Islamic State group (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a statement posted by its propaganda unit, Amaq News Agency.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi extended his condolences to the victims on Twitter.

North Sinai has been at the centre of a long-running Islamist insurgency spearheaded by a local affiliate of the IS.

Security forces have been battling to contain the insurgency, which intensified after the military’s 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

In February 2018, Egypt’s security forces launched a nationwide operation against militants, focused on North Sinai.

More than 800 suspected militants have been killed in the region along with almost 70 security personnel, according to the army.

No independent figures are available as the region is largely closed off to the media.